Thoughts and reflections from a progressive, gay, Catholic perspective.

Friday, June 25, 2010

LGBT Catholics Celebrate Being "Wonderfully Made"

In joy! Oh, in joy do we gather!Knowing we are all the image of God.

Be strong! Oh, be stronger than hatred,knowing we are the image of God.

We stand! Oh, we stand and we celebrate,knowing we are the image of God.

"The Image of God"Bret Hesla

A small but spirited group of Catholics gathered last night at the House of the Beloved Disciple in South Minneapolis for a "Catholic Mass in Celebration of Our LGBT Brothers and Sisters."

Sponsored byDignity Twin Citiesand theCatholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities, the Mass was intentionally planned to acknowledge and celebrate the presence of God in the lives and relationships of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and families. Needless to say, given the official stance of the Church's clerical leadership on such matters, last night's Mass was not an official Archdiocesan event.

The readings for the day could not have been more perfect for the theme of this Mass of celebration of and with LGBT Catholics, as they all spoke of being called to fully embrace who God created us to be, and the power and strength that comes from truthfully and joyfully claiming who we are as LGBT persons and the living of lives of integrity based on this truth.

Hear me, O coastlands,listen, O distant peoples.God called me from birth,from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.. . . You are my servant, he said to me,Israel, through whom I show my glory. . .

- Excerpted from Isaiah 49:1-6

My friend Kathleen (pictured above and at right with fellow musician Jeanne) led the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15).

I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

O God, you have probed me, you know me:you know when I sit and when I stand;you understand my thoughts from afar.My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,with all my ways you are familiar.

I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

Truly you have formed my inmost being;you knit me in my mother’s womb.I give you thanks that I am awesomely, wonderfully made;wonderful are your works.

I praise you for I am wonderfully made.

My soul also you knew full well;nor was my frame unknown to youWhen I was made in secret,when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.

I praise you for I am wonderfully made.

In the Gospel reading (Luke 1:57-66, 80), the act of naming can be seen as a metaphor for insistent and truthful claiming. Within the Roman Catholic Church, LGBT people must consistently claim the truth that they are made in the image of God, and that their relationships have the potential of being both sexually and sacramentally experienced and expressed. We claim this in the face of a clerical caste system that ascribes labels and names of untruth to our lives and relationships. In so doing we name ourselves as "wonderfully made" in the image of our all-loving God.

And so we speak, like John the Baptist's father Zechariah, "blessing God" for our recognition and full embodiment of the sacred gift of our lives as beloved LGBT persons of God.

. . . When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.

- Excerpted from Luke 1:57-66, 80

My prayer is that all LGBT people may trust God's love of diversity and God's presence within the totality of their beings, and joyfully and gratefully accept the unique gift of who they are. And I pray, too, for members of the Church's clerical leadership: that they may open themselves to the loving presence of God in the lives and relationships of LGBT persons, and to the challenging yet liberating idea that our Church's teachings can and should be shaped by the findings of science and the lived experiences of LGBT individuals, couples, and families.

Above and below:After the Mass we gathered for refreshments and to hear Northfield author R.W. “Obie” Holmen discuss and read fromA Wretched Man: A Novel of the Apostle Paul, his compelling and controversial book that, among other things, offers a gay perspective on Paul.

Rev. Jeffrey Bütz, Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies and Philosophy at Pennsylvania State University, notes the following of Obie's novel:

A Wretched Man is a stunning fictional account of the early church that reads like real-life. While a work of fiction, this just may be the most authentically historical novel ever written about the lives of the apostles.

Obie maintains an insightful blogsite calledSpirit of a Liberal, one that's included in The Wild Reed's blogroll. We're also both contributors to the "collaborative progressive catholic blogging site" known asThe Open Tabernacle. Although we've corresponded by e-mail in the past, last night was the first time we actually met. And I must say it was a pleasure and an honor to finally meet him and his wife, and to hear him speak about and read from his wonderfully descriptive and entertaining novel.

Come! Live in the light!Shine with the joy and the love of our God.We are called to be light for the kingdom,to live in the freedom of the city of God

We are called to act with justice.We are called to love tenderly.We are called to serve one another;to walk humbly with God.

2 comments:

How beautiful. I feel so emotional as I read this and wish that I could have been you as your shared the Word of God and the Eucharist. Your Archdiocese is surely blessed to have such a wonderful group of people. Many blessings to you all.

Search This Blog

Translate

On September 24, 2012,Michael BaylyofCatholics for Marriage Equality MNwas interviewed by Suzanne Linton of Our World Today about same-sex relationships and why Catholics can vote 'no' on the proposed Minnesota anti-marriage equality amendment.

Even though reeds can symbolize frailty, they may also represent the strength found in flexibility. Popular wisdom says that the green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm. Tall green reeds
are associated with water, fertility, abundance, wealth, and rebirth. The sound of a reed pipe
is often considered the voice of a soul
pining for God or a lost love.

Readers write . . .

"I believe your blog to be of utmost importance for all people regardless of their orientation. . . . Thank you for your blog and the care and dedication that you give in bringing the TRUTH to everyone."– William

"Michael, if there is ever a moment in your day or in your life when you feel low and despondent and wonder whether what you are doing is anything worthwhile, think of this: thanks to your writing on the internet, a young man miles away is now willing to embrace life completely and use his talents and passions unashamedly to celebrate God and his creation. Any success I face in the future and any lives I touch would have been made possible thanks to you and your honesty and wisdom."– AB

"Since I discovered your blog I have felt so much more encouraged and inspired knowing that I'm not the only gay guy in the Catholic Church trying to balance my Faith and my sexuality. Continue being a beacon of hope and a guide to the future within our Church!"– Phillip

"Your posts about Catholic issues are always informative and well researched, and I especially appreciate your photography and the personal posts about your own experience. I'm very glad I found your blog and that I've had the chance to get to know you."– Crystal

"Thank you for taking the time to create this fantastic blog. It is so inspiring!"– George

"I cannot claim to be an expert on Catholic blogs, but from what I've seen, The Wild Reed ranks among the very best."– Kevin

"Reading your blog leaves me with the consolation of knowing that the words Catholic, gay and progressive are not mutually exclusive.."– Patrick

"I grieve for the Roman institution’s betrayal of God’s invitation to change. I fear that somewhere in the midst of this denial is a great sin that rests on the shoulders of those who lead and those who passively follow. But knowing that there are voices, voices of the prophets out there gives me hope. Please keep up the good work."– Peter